Letter 1543: A terrible love of words has flooded the souls of people in this time — words, I say, not of the kind that bring...
To the bishop who inquires about the responsibilities of his office: the shepherd must feed the flock, not fleece it. The bishop who enriches himself from the offerings of the faithful is worse than a common thief, for the thief steals from strangers, but the bishop steals from those who trust him. His position makes his crime more heinous, not less, for he perverts the very institution that was established for the salvation of souls and the relief of the poor. The offerings of the people are not the bishop's private property but a sacred trust, to be distributed to the needy, the orphans, the widows, and the strangers. The bishop who diverts these funds to his own use commits sacrilege, and his punishment will be proportionate to the sanctity of the trust he has betrayed. Let the bishop therefore live simply, dress modestly, eat temperately, and give generously, remembering that he will render an account to God for every coin that passed through his hands.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
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Related Letters
1. I do not doubt, when I consider both your faith and the weakness or wickedness of others, that your mind has been disturbed, for even a holy apostle, full of compassionate love, confesses a similiar experience, saying, Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is offended, and I burn not?
Anger is a fire: useful when controlled, devastating when unleashed.
Character is revealed not by what a person says but by what he does when no one is watching.
Virtue must be practiced with all one's strength — not merely admired from a distance.
Anger is a fire: useful when controlled, devastating when unleashed.